Numerical Study on the Influence of Torque Performance Caused by Deflectors on Darrieus Wind Turbines

This paper investigates the effects on the torque performance caused by deflectors of the Darrieus turbine. Various deflectors were placed in front of the turbine and disrupted the wind flow before it came into contact with the turbine blades. Using numerical method, this study aims to find the deflector’s optimum geometric shape, offset distance, and dimension required for the turbine to produce the highest torque. This study utilizes flow simulation analysis to simulate the deflector effect on Darrieus turbine. The result of this study is the optimum deflector geometry and offset distance for producing highest turbine torque output. From the data gathered it is shown that a deflector with triangular cross-section with the size of turbine diameter placed 400 mm offset to the right of the turbine produces the best result. Turbine with this deflector configuration produces 1.24 Nm of torque, eight times higher than its non-deflector counterpart yields 0.14 Nm.